An Activity-Based Statistics Course

So that students can acquire a conceptual understanding of basic statistical concepts, the orientation of the introductory statistics course must change from a lecture-and-listen format to one that engages students in active learning. This is the premise underlying an effort of the authors to produce and use a collection of hands-on activities that illustrate the basic concepts of statistics covered in most introductory college courses. Such activities promote the teaching of statistics more as an experimental science and less as a traditional course in mathematics. An activity-based approach enhances learning by improving the students' attention, motivation, and understanding. This paper presents examples of the types of activities that work well in various classroom settings along with comments from colleagues and students on their effectiveness.